The effectiveness of a chart audit and feedback intervention to improve cardiology provider delivery of heart failure self-care education

Heart failure is a challenging disease process that presents a high risk of mortality, frequent hospitalizations, and an overwhelming economic burden to the health system. Patient self-care education has been shown to decrease unplanned hospitalizations, emergency room visits, hospitalized days, costs, and mortality rates. However, only 61% of adults with HF receive self-care education within a 12-month period. Under the framework of the Iowa Model for Evidence-Based Practice, the purpose of this project was to implement an electronic health record audit and written and verbal provider feedback intervention with the aim of improving provider delivery of heart failure self-care education to adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The objectives of this project were to: 1) Improve cardiology provider performance of heart failure self-care education delivery to adult patients with heart failure and 2) Cardiology providers will report satisfaction with the chart audit and performance feedback process. Data analysis revealed an improvement of provider delivery of heart failure selfcare education in all heart failure self-care education elements. This project provided the opportunity to design, develop, and evaluate an evidence-based initiative aimed at improving health care quality. Furthermore, this project has provided a foundation for future clinical initiatives aimed at improving provider delivery of heart failure self-care education. iii IMPROVE HF SELF-CARE EDUCATION DELIVERY